Where We're At: Oma and Grandpa's

Eden is proud to announce that she has seven cousins, and five of those cousins are on Derek's side of the family. Of those five, four are older than Eden, which means she worships them and follows them around being a big kid whenever they're together. She LOVES being part of the group. It's an altogether different dynamic than the one at YaYa and Boppa's, where Eden is the eldest of five grandkids, and gets to boss everyone around. Endlessly fascinating, isn't it? The qualities of personality that can be observed in different scenarios? I wonder what Selah will be like...

Here she is being loved on by her Oma (Derek's mom) and Oma deBoer (Derek's Oma.)


Oma deBoer has something like 35 great grandchildren. (It's difficult to count... accuracy would require pen and paper and a family tree, I think.) Selah is not the youngest. Oma (the moniker by which she introduces herself to strangers) is perhaps the sweetest, most genuinely altruistic soul I have ever known. My kids are blessed to know her!



Hey! It's my baby daddy!



The last visit to Oma and Grandpa's doubled as our Easter get together, complete with egg hunt for the kiddos. I love that you can just hear this photo of all the cousins cracking open their plastic eggs to reveal quarters, tattoos, candy, and erasers... treasures all.



Of these 8 kids, Judah and Owen are the closest in age with just 6 weeks between their birthdays. Maybe it's because he spends so much time with children of the female persuasion at home and on my side of the family, but Judah has a special affection for the boys in his life. You can almost hear the testosterone pumping when he gets around his boy cousins. Here, Judah and Owen were checking out a toad in the pond when the paparazzi was spotted.



The toad was captured!



More Owen and Judah: Hide and Seek





Judah has impressive form when practicing stair without a railing. I detect ninja abilities.


Soon these Lily of the Valley will be blooming, along with (hopefully some) tulips downtown. I smell carnie food....